Forgive me if this question has been answered here before, but I haven't found an uncomplicated technique.

I've got a nice X60 running Windows 7. I'd like to have XP instead, for application compatibility reasons. I've got an old Dell XP CD but I'm getting the idea that there'll be driver issues if I attempt to use it (via a USB thumb-drive).

What's the simplest way to do this install with the proper SATA drivers? Where do I get those drivers? Any other special drivers needed?

Right, you either1. set the controller to IDE compatibility mode in BIOS (then switch to AHCI after OS & drivers are installed)2. use a USB floppy drive to load SATA drivers after hitting F6 during install3. slipstream the SATA drivers into the XP install media.Personally I normally do #3. Probably not worth the trouble for the average user though.

thanks very much for your, and all, replies. One more Q: how are you guys getting your OS onto your no-DVD Thinkpads? I'm thinking "I'll just put a ISO 9660 image of my XP disk onto my thumb drive" but then I'm reading all over the Internet about the trickiness of this.

Well, I have the ultra base with a DVD drive. I've done it before with a USB flash drive, on a X31, and it is a bit tricky for sure. Seems like I tried three or four different methods before I finally found one that worked. Now, I don't remember which worked for me.

I would recommend trying the USB flash drive method first, and if that fails come back for some more possibilities.

If the Easiest way to do the AHCI drivers is to download the Intel F6 disk. After you download that install Nlite and tell it to intergrate drivers. Upon doing so it will have the AHCI drivers installed and you do not have to muck about with the F6 floppy method or having to install the drivers afterwards.

This is how i did my clean Xp install without using thinkvantage recovery when i ran Xp Pro. If the system has a valid Xp License on the bottom, i do not see any legal reason why downloading a windows XP Iso from a torrent website for the OEM version should not be possible. I will not provide any links to them on here, but you can google for Xp Pro OEM Iso and turn up enough results.

Why don't you run your XP programs in XP compatibility mode on W7? Does it not work for your programs? To get into Compat mode, right click on the program menu item or icon, select properties and the Compatibility tab. There you can select to run in XP / SP3 mode.

I like Ubuntu but W7 is much more secure than XP plus many additional features. Seems a shame to buy a motor boat and use paddles. There will be a time that XP won't be supported even in sites as mentioned above.